Source Workshop

WHAT ARE SOURCES? Anything used to gain information on a particular topic of investigation. WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF SOURCES? Books, Magazines, Articles, Pictures, Websites, Movies, etc. WHAT ARE THE TWO TYPES OF SOURCES? Primary (First) Sources Secondary (Second) Sources

Contemporary or First Hand Accounts Any Document or physical object that was written or created during the time under study. These sources were present during an experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular event. Examples include: diaries, speeches, letters, interviews, film footage, pictures, autobiographies, novels, music, art, artifacts. PRIMARY SOURCES

Historical Accounts and Analysis A source that interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are one or two steps removed from an event. Secondary Sources may have pictures, quotes, or graphics of primary sources in them. Examples include: texbooks, reference materials, commentaries, biographies, etc. SECONDARY SOURCES

Give the most contemporary unfiltered insight into an event Tell us what people felt, saw, heard, experienced during the time under investigation Raw Materials of historical investigation WHY ARE PRIMARY SOURCES IMPORTANT?

Present a more polished and developed view of an event or time period Present a broader understanding by incorporating a variety of both types of sources. Have the benefit of distance and reflection from the time or event they are analyzing. WHY ARE SECONDARY SOURCES IMPORTANT?

Primary Sources Incomplete, biased, out of context, require a lot of analysis Secondary Sources Bias, second-hand accounts, can be written long after what they are discussing, conflict with each other. USE BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES Source Problems

INTERROGATION: Is this source legitimate? Is it accurate? What is its relationship to other sources? Is it reliable? Where did it come from? USING SOURCES

ANALYSIS: What does this source say? What is the context of this source? What do other sources say about this source? Is the information current or obsolete? USING SOURCES

SOURCES EXERCISE

Primary

Secondary

Primary